Midnight at the Oasis
by Shambhalasoulful
Summary: Amid the nightly celebrations of Nura Manor, two young leaders strive to find a fragile balance. One makes an attempt at a serious discussion; the other is too irritable to care. He should have known those drugs would fail to knock her out completely. Revised.


**A/N**: Third NuraMago story? I don't think I've ever typed so quickly in my life. I would once again love to thank my viewers (and reviewers) for their time and support! I dedicate the title for this particular fic to **irish d' salmon luver** for her warm-hearted message. Thanks so much! Without further ado, enjoy this piece of fluff!

**Warning**: Yura's a little cranky, and as a result, she has a bit of a potty mouth. Bed-rest doesn't seem to agree with her.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Nurarihyon no Mago_. If I did, well…we don't need to go there.

**Revised on March 23, 2013.**

* * *

_Midnight at the oasis_

_Send your camel to bed_

_Shadows paintin' our faces_

_Traces of romance in our heads_

_-__**Midnight at the Oasis, Renee Olstead**_

* * *

_The moments I'm not around always seem to be the most interesting._

He lumbers his way down the polished halls, his thoughts sluggish, his limbs heavy, his weariness pushing against his sanity like gravity. Various yōkai drunkenly stumble out of his path as he treads through their ranks, their boisterous greetings overflowing with good cheer.

_At least they've allowed us to care for her in their stead. Hopefully we won't have an army of onmyōji surging the front gates in the morning._

His destination finally appears before him, and Rikuo doesn't hesitate to shove the shoji door aside and step into the darkened interior of the room. The only source of light is the low-lit paper lantern placed next to the futon, and its illumination on the white of the bedding adds a stark contrast to the shadows leading into the corridor.

"Rikuo."

At the sound of his name, he pauses to see Zen making his way toward him, a small armload of clean bandages in his possession. He stops a few feet away, his gaze quizzical.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were congregating with the onmyōji?"

He shrugs his tense shoulders, hoping to mask his fatigue with indifference. "There wasn't much to be said. I told them what happened, and they agreed to send a few members here for reconnaissance."

A raised eyebrow. "Reconnaissance? What for?"

A small, cynical smirk crosses his features. "They're trying to hide their concern. She's their precious jewel, and they want to make sure she's in good hands."

"Makes sense."

"How is our patient, since we're on the topic."

Zen sighs and scratches his scalp, his expression humored with a touch of good-natured exasperation. "She's doing fine. The injuries were nothing to sneeze at, but they weren't life-threatening. The biggest challenge was getting her to cooperate."

With Zen's expert diagnosis, the anxiety mounting on his shoulders dissipates, leaving him relieved and amused. A small, appreciative smile comes to his lips. "Sounds about right. Thanks, Zen."

A careless wave of the hand, and Zen steps forward to deposit the bandages into Rikuo's arms. "It was nothing. As far as I can see, we owe her."

He nods absently, his thoughts turning to their upcoming guests. _Best to see her before they get here._ "Is she sleeping?" he asks aloud.

"If she was, she isn't anymore. Either come in or close the damned door."

Both men whip their heads around to peer into the impromptu patient ward and catch sight of the white figure sitting up in the futon, a small scowl poised on her lips. Zen sighs with pity and reaches over to pat his brother companionably on the shoulder.

"Good luck with that one."

Rikuo smirks as the bird yōkai retreats the way he came. "Luck isn't enough."

Once Zen turns the corner, he returns to his previous task and steps into the room, sliding the door closed until naught but a small beam of moonlight steals its way inside. The grumpy young woman in the white robe is still glowering at him, but the normally intimidating look is tempered by her palpable exhaustion and pallid features. Rikuo hides his humor as he places the bandages on the nearby low-legged table, crosses his legs, and seats himself an arm's length away from her resting spot. He breaks the silence first.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," is her immediate answer. "Your 'brother' forced me to drink this mess that's making me drowsy, and I'll be damned if I fall asleep."

"He gave it to you to ease your pain."

"And I told him I didn't need it. It tasted gross, and it made me feel heavy and off balance."

Rikuo can see as well as hear Yura's pout, and he fails to hide his taunting grin this time. "You sure you can blame that on the medicine?"

Her expression turns practically feral. "I do _not_ need you talking out of your ass right now."

He counters easily. "And you don't need to keep fighting the effects of the medicine. You're disoriented because you're not allowing it to do its _job_."

The girl gives him a scathing glare, but its intensity is ruined by her lethargy and his common sense. "Well how the hell am I supposed to rest _here_?"

"You've stayed here before."

"Yeah, against my will."

Rikuo chuckles and reaches to affectionately pat her head. "I never thought I'd see the head of the Keikain Clan acting so cranky. It's rather adorable."

"Bite me, asshole."

He laughs harder. _I haven't heard so many swears out of a woman's mouth since Awashima._

His amusement subsiding, he reaches for her, deciding to try for a different approach. "Lie down before you get dizzy. I'll help you."

He expects her adamant refusal to his help, and raises his brows in surprise when she studies her surroundings before nodding faintly, her shoulders sinking.

"Yeah, okay."

With an approving nod, Rikuo rises to his knees and takes a hold of the soft blankets with one hand while the other rests on her shoulder as support. Carefully, Yura eases down between the sheets, her head coming to slump on the plush pillow with a gentle _thump_. Her eyes are already closed when he draws the sheets over her form, absentmindedly tucking the edges in to prevent warmth from escaping.

He leans back to survey his handiwork with a satisfied nod. The stress around the girl's eyes has eased, and the rise and fall of her breast has slowed somewhat. He tilts back further until his spine touches the paneled wall behind him, and he settles himself against it with a contented sigh, moving his sword next to him. He considers locating his grandfather's pipe, but knows she would immediately complain about the smoke and force him to put it out. Instead, he gazes out the small opening into the yard, where he can see the white plate of Kappa's head floating languidly in the oval pond.

"You're staying?" He starts at the sound of Yura's sleep-laden voice and turns to her.

"Just for a moment."

"'m not gonna be much company."

"When are you ever?"

She snorts at his barb but doesn't retaliate, cloudy eyes disappearing under their lids, and he watches her tranquil form before speaking again. "Yura."

"Hm."

"Thank you."

"Fer what?"

"For tonight."

Reluctantly, Yura's eyes crack open and slide in his general direction, and he knows she's struggling to decipher his words. "What about tonight?"

He sighs and rubs his neck to get out a stray kink. _Definitely not used to expressing thanks twice in one night._ "For protecting my comrades. Kurotabo told me what happened before I arrived."

Her eyes narrow slightly as she attempts to focus. "Kurotabo? The monk with the weapons?"

He nods with a small smile. "He told me how you put yourself between them and took the hit."

She huffs quietly and looks up to the ceiling. "Stupid ayakashi was fighting me, but decided to go for safer competition. A coward's move. He grazed me and knocked me off to the side, but I was able to get him with Rentei." She captures his gaze again. "It wasn't a big deal. I just did it without thinking. Ryuuji would say I was being 'impulsive again', the jerk."

Rikuo snickers at her commentary, but his smile is warm as he pushes away from the wall and lies down beside her, using his elbow as a prop. "Just the same, your 'impulsion' saved my companions' lives, and for that I'm grateful."

A tiny smirk touches Yura's lips. "I never thought I'd see the Head of the Nura Clan acting so sappy. It's rather adorable."

He rolls his eyes as she slings his own taunt back in his face. _I gave that medicine too much credit. She's too damn stubborn for her own good._

"But seriously," she begins, and he tunes back in to her words. "Don't think anything of it. The whole thing just kinda...happened. And I know you would do the same for me and my family."

He studies her relaxed face for a moment before nodding slightly. _This is the same girl who despised yokai only a few years ago, and now she's willingly jeopardizing her safety to protect them._ He rolls the thought over in his head before making a decision.

"Promise me something," he murmurs.

Yura raises an eyebrow brow, warily curious. "Depends. What is it?"

"Promise you'll call on me when you find yourself in trouble again."

To his chagrin, but not to his surprise, the girl immediately shakes her head with a smile, and he studies the patterns of her hair as the strands fall against her pale cheeks. "I've trained my whole life to be able to face any opponent on my own, and I'm not making myself a liability just so _you'll_ feel better."

She releases a slender hand from the confines of her blankets and gently raps a fist against his noggin, smiling sleepily at his puzzlement. "You'll have to find your damsel in distress somewhere else."

The yokai gives her a dry look and grasps the offending limb. "Don't get cocky. It was just a suggestion."

"Yeah. Okay. Why the 'suggestion'?"

He thinks about his decision and the possible consequences, and for a moment, he considers revealing himself right then, just to release the pressure that has been building in his chest for the past five months.

_Face the facts, Rikuo. She's in no condition to honestly listen to you, and you're in no condition to put yourself out there without making an ass of yourself._

He knows. The situation is too fragile, too important for him to ruin it with impatience.

So he simply smirks and tucks Yura's hand back against her side, feigning nonchalance as he straightens the blankets. "It's nothing for you to concern yourself with. Go to sleep."

"I wasn't concerned," she replies, voice slurred. "And get out of my room first."

"Your room? Right," he mutters sarcastically, watching her become settled. On impulse, he leans down and brushes his fingers against the smooth skin of her jaw, pushing her hair to either side of her face before rising and opening the shoji door. Just as he steps out, he hears her sleepy mumble.

"Tell Zen-san I said thanks."

He nods, even though her eyes are closed and her breaths have already deepened. "Goodnight, Yura."

Rikuo shuts the sliding door with a soft _click_, and finds his grandfather sitting on the edge of the veranda, pipe in one hand and sake in the other. He gazes at the scenery with a smirk.

"She's something, isn't she?"

One question, and Rikuo knows his grandfather has overheard their entire exchange. However, instead of annoyance, a warm, indulgent smile tugs at his lips, and he answers honestly.

"Unlike anything I've ever known."

The old man chuckles. "Careful. Spitfires like her, they burn."

Rikuo cocks his head, curious. "You know?"

"Your grandmother was like that. Perfect princess on the outside, but get her riled up, and she shot off like a firecracker." Nurarihyon takes a small sip of sake, smirk softening to a small smile. "That's what made her special. Even when that temper was aimed at me, I wouldn't have had her any other way."

Silently, the boy ponders his grandfather's words and nods, noting the parallels. "Seen Zen around?"

"Last I saw, he was headed to the main hall. What do you need him for?"

"A favor. I have a plan in the works, but I need the right conditions for it to end in my favor."

Nurarihyon eyes him, interest piqued, but Rikuo only smirks. "Should I wish for your success?"

"I don't know. In truth, whether I succeeded or not, it could end in disaster."

"A prayer for your survival, then." Rikuo sees the light concern hidden behind his grandfather's carefree visage, and he chuckles to ease his worries.

"_That_ I can definitely use."


End file.
